Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-09-18

The following letter from the pen q
Hon ]. P. Stewart, Of PuyalIup, does
not require an Introduction, the writer
being widely known Is authority upon
the topic upon which be has written.
Instead Of seeking this letter for .
" text" upon which to write, il was
wanted for the Sermon coming
from one who, a. he writes. has
learned from experience and obssrv.
atom
PUYALLUP. Wash. Ter. Sept. 2, 1857.
Z. MBEKE8. Esq.-DRAR Sra: In re-
ply to the questions propounded in
your communication, ! win say:
In the spring Of ls77 l planted so
peach plum trees. The next spring
planted several hundred pFune trees,
consisting Of the Italian, French, Retsl
de Agent German, Hungarian, Gross
de Agent and several kinds Of plums |;
also pears. cherries, &c. ! have, TIL
within the last two years, cultivated
my fruit trees aud given them as much
care and attention as have my hops.
Two years ago seeded down . great
share Of my fruit ground for the rea-
son that, in my opinion, high cultiva-
ton caused them to grow 20 rapidly
and late in the season that they thereby
became too full Of sap and too tender
70 endure the changes of weather which
we have the latter part Of December,
when the Thermometer Sometimes goes
as low as three degrees below zero. At
any rate, the bark of many of my fruit
trees would burst. Many would die
the first year after this occurred, others
would not be injured. and the bark of
others would slip only from one side
OF the tree, leaving il to survive and
bear q partial crop of fruit for q few
years. Then, rs one side and the mid
die had decayed, the wind would usu-
ally blow them over.
This became very discouraging, and
did not persist In planting fruit, rs
had anticip ted. This have learned
from my experience and o. 8ervation
All fruit trees are more hardy grown
On the uplands than in the valley lands.
Of all the pFune trees have planted,
he French Is the most hardy and the
best bearer; the German Is the least
hardy and the least prolific. The Gross |
10 Agen Is q good bes er and the fruit |
srows very large; frequently four OF /
his kind viii make q pound. Yet the |
wood of this tree Is very tender, and |
he limbs are very liable 20 break, while |
he limbs of the French prune tree are /
lery tough and are rarely ever broken |
Town by the fruit.
The French prune tree win begin TO |
)ear when il Is three or four years old. |
.r.1 -, q, k-aas Wvhfoh kawa ksas. x.lnnk.A
line years, bear, / think, on an aver 1
bushels Of pFunes. There has never
allied 10 be q fair crop OF French
'runes since the trees began to bear.
nd usually they have been loaded
Town with fruit. can say the same
i the Gross de Agen, except the tree
loes not fruit quite so early rs the
French. The italian produces very |
little fruit till It is six or seven years
Id, the German no fruit for me.
II was young man i should en-
leavor to secure piece OF tir timber /
and with the view Of having . pFune
II chard thereon. A French prune or
hard, well cared for on this kind OF
and, after Il has been growing twelve |
Tears. will, in my opinion, net the
,wner one-third more than my hops |
lave melted me for the fifteen years !
rave been growing them.
You ask me about my red raspber
les. | have one and one-sixth OF an
lcre of them. This year thsre have |
been picked and sold from this patch /
II ground 6002 pounds, which brought |
n the market &459.5f.
Without . oannery Is likely 10 be es-
ablished here, I would advise no one |
% plant any amount OF raspberries. for /
ill this year have made little out of /
his berry patch, IS | have had more |
han could tind sale for.
Mr.. Meeker, this letter has assumed |
! greater length than l anticipated,
yet l have not answered all OF your /
questions. presume you are seeking
! text for Q theme. | am pleased 70 |
help you. Mr.. Editor. on this subject. |
~ think probably what you viii write |
On fruit growing in Western Washing
ION may prompt the development of q |
resource that viii add millions TO our
wealth and thousands 10 our popula- |
lion. | am very truly yours,
]. P. STEWART.